Author: Kim Yuhl

It is hard to find anyone who plays poker, whether professionally or as an amateur, who hasn’t heard the name Daniel Cates. Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates, is one of the rare poker players who came up through the online poker ranks and was able to conquer the live tournament circuit as well.

With over $3 million in live tournament winnings and over $10 million online, Cates is truly one of poker’s elite. One might think his nickname came from the online world, but actually it came while playing live games. He had long hair and admitted to being pretty hairy with a resemblance to Tarzan. The other players started to call him Jungleman, and it sort of stuck.

Live betting has been gaining popularity recently and has created a playground for action junkies. Because live betting includes bets while the game is being played, there are a variety of betting options. There are bets on every pitch, every kick and every completed pass, plus a multitude of other conditions. Because bets happen during the action, you can expect fluid spreads during the game.

Martin Jacobson went into the final table of the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event with the second shortest stack of the final nine players. He also went into that final table as the only player to have more than $1 million in WSOP tournament winnings. While coming close to a title a few times, he was never able to put that gold bracelet on his wrist until last year when he claimed the most coveted prize in poker.

The ideal poker hand means different things to different people. Beginners think the ideal poker hand is one of the best starting hands such as a pair of aces while intermediate players extend their range of ideal poker hands to include suited connectors and other speculative hands. Professional poker players, however, consider many factors before determining what would be an ideal hand: his opponents, the table dynamics and how much money is on the table.

So what is it? An ideal poker hand is any hand that has the potential to maximize winnings while minimizing losses. An ideal hand does not necessarily mean a premium hand.

For instance, it is safe to say being dealt 10-2 is usually an automatic fold. But, for Doyle Brunson, 10-2 is an ideal hand; in 1976 (and again in 1977), Brunson won the World Series of Poker Championship with this hand. Although it’s not the first choice of starting hands, it goes to show that any hand can be an ideal hand if you know how to play it and your opponent.

Many top poker professionals can hardly believe the poker skill or luck debate continues to be a topic of discussion. The reason? Poker isn’t entirely a game of skill OR luck – it is a combination of both.

It should come as no surprise that poker pros believe skill wins out in the end. They study the game, observe playing tendencies, make decisions based on statistics and are extremely disciplined. They work hard and develop skills that help them minimize the luck factor for their opponent.

On the other hand, a recreational poker player may like taking risks, will make many decisions based on feelings and chases the action. They are in the game for now, not necessarily the long-term and as a result rely heavily on luck to deliver the card they need to win the pot.

Playing poker isn’t often seen as a “real” profession by those on the outside. Some people have a moral issue with the idea of taking other people’s money for a living and some find it difficult to associate the term professional with someone who plays a game.

However, professional is exactly the right word for a successful poker player. How else would you describe someone who is highly intelligent, able to make spur-of-the-moment decisions with significant amounts of money, works long and hours and has embarked on a life-long mission to turn craft into career?

Tilt is an emotional response that usually results from a bad beat or losing a big pot. Your emotional response interferes with your ability to think clearly and results in poor decision-making and irrational actions. If you play poker, chances are you have experienced the dreaded tilt. While there are many tips and tricks to keep yourself in check and protect your bankroll when tilt is in play, the most important of these tips is self-awareness. Tilt affects every player differently and having a thorough understanding of how you respond to it can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Multi-table poker allows players the opportunity to maximize earning potential while playing online. When a player becomes consistent at a level, they have the option to either increase limits or add more tables at the existing limits. Like moving up in limits, changing game type or playing against new players, adding more tables to your session means harnessing new skills.

Playing within your bankroll and playing in a game where you have an advantage are keys to success in multi-table poker. However, just because you have an advantage in a single-table game doesn’t mean you will have the same advantage if you add more tables.

You understand the power of position, you are able to fold a good hand based on the action and you are comfortable playing speculative hands like suited connectors and small pairs. Basically, you have mastered the basics of poker and are now ready to take your game to the next level.

Ask any professional poker player and they will tell you your skill level has very little to do with what cards you are holding and more to do with what’s happening around you. Here are some tips that may seem basic at first, but are critical to transitioning from a beginning player to one that is in control of the table.

Success in poker relies on understanding how your opponents play and looking for opportunities to exploit them. There is no reason to get creative or bluff an opponent if they will call you down with bottom pair.

If your opponent plays a loose game, you should be tightening up. On the other hand, if your opponent plays tight, then you need to widen your range and apply pressure to collect chips when they fail to hit their hand.

Online Casino Bluebook

Note: OnlineCasinoBluebook is an independently owned and operated website. We do not hold ownership or play an active role with any of the sites found on our website. We offer advice and rankings based on personal and user feedback. Any challenges or information you would like share with us, please email us at support@onlinecasinobluebook.com. Note 2: Please be aware that the sites found on OCBB offer monetary compensation for being listed on our chart. This ensures the stability of OCBB. Note 3: For your security, all of the sites listed on OCBB must abide by our "Code of Conduct Policy"